Training is key to keeping schools safe

Friday

Mar 7, 2014 at 2:18 PM

By Angie OrensteinBillerica@wickedlocal.com

In the wake of such deadly tragedies as the shootings in 2012 at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. and in 1999 at Columbine High School in Colorado, many parents have developed deep concerns about their children’s safety.In Billerica, the police department works closely with the public schools, practicing lockdowns on a regular basis, and has a full-time police officer on duty at the high school – but some updates and changes could be in store."We certainly are all about trying to make our schools as safe as possible," said Billerica Deputy Police Chief Roy Frost. "We are always looking into how we are improving and are actively working with the schools to prepare."Frost said they are looking into assigning school resource officers at the middle schools and Shawsheen Vocational Technical High School, and explained these officers not only help provide security but also serve as a proactive presence, casually interacting with the students on a daily basis.Superintendent of Schools Tim Piwowar commented that security measures already in place at all of the schools in town include locked doors and a buzzer entry with security cameras, and visitors are required to sign in upon arrival.For safety reasons Frost said he could not reveal details on how officers would handle an active shooter in a school but did say it would be the same as how they would in a store or any public place with a crowd and that is in a "tactical manner, based on best practices training."Billerica resident Rick Pozniak, a FEMA-certified public information officer trained in crisis and disaster response, said he worries about the numerous violent shootings that have taken place recently in schools, hospitals, and shopping malls and believes it’s important that all police departments run training drills on a regular basis in order to be prepared to deal with an active shooter."I’m very concerned about the dramatic increase of violence in our society," said Pozniak, who was asked by the White House to be part of a national group of crisis experts to evaluate the government’s plan to address a terrorist attack in the United States. "After Newtown it drew the message home that no school is immune from this level of violence."Pozzniak, who has done extensive research and training in active shooter response, hospital evacuations and bomb threats, believes in the importance of best practices training, which exposes police officers to hands-on, realistic training scenarios. For example, he said, police officers should be running drills on a regular basis inside schools when they are closed so that they can learn the layout of the building and practice maneuvering and communicating with each other.He said the old days of waiting for a SWAT team to arrive are over and that new guidelines are calling for the first officers on the scene and also paramedics wearing protective gear to immediately rush into the building with the gunman to provide assistance and get the injured to an ambulance as soon as possible.Frost commented, "We’re in the process of changing. Things today are not being done the same way they were 10 years ago. Billerica is trying to get up to speed with what’s happening nationally with best practices, but also keeping in mind it is a school atmosphere, a learning atmosphere. We’re trying to find a balance."Frost said he can’t get into specifics on how they train but said they do train and have recently sent officers for specific training in some of the new methods like ALICE, hide, and retreat.Some high schools, Pozniak said, are starting to enact the ALICE (alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate) program, which teaches students and teachers how to barricade a door, escape through a window, or as a last resort, fight back against an attacker using chairs, staplers, scissors, and other equipment, should they find themselves cornered by an assailant. He said this program is not for everyone but it’s good to have the training just in case."This type of proactivity has to be well studied and is being implemented in some districts," he said, noting that aggressive action by first responders at the Boston marathon bombings saved a massive amount of lives.Wilmington Public Schools is introducing the ALICE program and introduced the program to parents at an informational session last week."How much is too much when it comes to saving the life of your kid?" Pozniak said. "We’re living in a very different world today. People have to be aware. I’m not saying they have to be trained in tactical combat or lose sleep at night, but they have to be aware of their surroundings and learn how to protect themselves."School safety billBillerica Police Sgt. Bill West and state Rep. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, testified at the end of January at the State House on behalf of a school safety bill they created together. If passed, the bill would allow collaboration between a local school district and municipal police officers to provide security in public schools by having officers volunteer their time in exchange for the ability to receive a tax write off for the hours they put in.Lombardo said it is unclear how long it will take the committee to vote on the bill and that often times it takes years."We all want to make our schools as safe as possible," said Lombardo. "This bill stands alone and is not part of a comprehensive package that the town, school, or police department is working on specifically. This would be a tool that any school district could use if they choose to do so."Pozniak, who has lived in town for over 30 years and has two grown children who attended Billerica public schools, said he gives five stars to the Billerica police, fire, and paramedics for doing a phenomenal job. He said he believes in the preparation, training, and implementation of new best practices and feels that all schools, towns, and police departments should be taking a close look at it.Piwowar said, "We need to keep certain aspects of our security protocols private so as not to cause any security vulnerabilities by sharing what we do publicly. That being said, we will likely be talking this spring at public school committee meetings about a new approach that we may take to some of these issues."